Gallup: Dissatisfied Americans Want Stricter Abortion Laws

Americans' satisfaction with the nation's abortion policies has been dropping in recent years, a new poll shows.

The Gallup survey finds just 34 percent of Americans say they're happy with current policies, the lowest percentage since the polling firm first asked the question in 2001, an analysis showed Monday.

In three of the four years since and including the 2012 poll, fewer than 40 percent have been satisfied, while between 2001 and 2008, at least 40 percent were satisfied every year, the analysis finds.

"This year, of those who are dissatisfied, twice as many prefer stricter rather than less strict laws," the poll analysis finds, noting 24 percent want stricter laws and 12 percent want current abortion laws to be less strict.

The poll found Republicans make up the largest dip in satisfaction. No more than 29 percent of Republicans have been satisfied with abortion laws since 2012, with only 21 percent satisfied this year, the survey shows.

Republican satisfaction was significantly higher under President George W. Bush, reaching as high as 44 percent in 2002, the pollster notes.

This year, 46 percent of Democrats are satisfied with abortion policies, as are 36 percent of independents.

"This shift in attitudes most likely reflects the change from a pro-life Republican president to a pro-choice Democratic one," the poll analysis suggests. "Notably, Democrats' views have not become more positive after the change in presidential administrations, perhaps because abortion is the law of the land."

According to the poll — Gallup didn't gather data on the questions from 2009-2011 — satisfaction with abortion policies was higher from 2001 to 2008, for an an average of 43 percent. From 2012 on, that average dropped to 39 percent.A Gallup poll last May found Americans are split on abortion, with 47 percent pro-choice and 46 percent pro-life.